Brain Scenarios

Leon’s car was broadsided by a truck causing Leon’s head to smash against the driver’s side window damaging his temporal lobe. What ability may be affected?

• language comprehension skills

• his vision

• his decision-making

• his ability to feel pain

2. On Justin’s 21^st birthday he & his buddies celebrated a bit too much. When the police stopped his car Justin’s speech was slurred, he couldn’t walk a straight line or balance on one foot. He nearly missed his face altogether when asked to touch his nose while his eyes were closed. The impaired functioning of what part of Justin’s brain is responsible for these difficulties with motor coordination and balance?

• pons

• frontal lobe

• cerebellum

• corpus collosum

3. Uncle Ed suffered a stroke which damaged a portion of his cortex. He shows some weakness and partial paralysis of his right leg. What area of his cortex was affected by the stroke?

• right hemisphere

• medulla oblongota

• left hemisphere

• spinal cord

Paul suffered from encephalitis (a brain infection) while in college. He received good medical attention but still the infection took its toll on certain parts of his brain, so that now Paul cannot store new long-term memories. What part of the brain did the encephalitis damage?

• amygdala

• hypothalamus

• cerebral cortex

• hippocampus

Grandma Beth had a stroke which impaired her ability to speak fluently. What is the most likely location of her brain damage?

• broca’s area

• wernicke's area

• left hemisphere

• pons

Gwen’s brain has a congenital anomaly (a difference in brain anatomy that she was born with) - it lacks the main connection between the right and left hemispheres.  What was Gwen born without?

• cerebellum

• medulla oblongata

• cerebral cortex

• corpus callosum

Amy was having a really bad week. On Monday she found she couldn’t hear. On Tuesday her sense of taste went. On Wednesday she lost her sense of touch. Her CAT scan revealed a single brain tumor was probably producing all of these deficits. What single part of the brain in involved in all of these sensory processes?

• frontal lobe

• parietal lobe

• temporal lobe

• occipital lobe

Pete was struck by lightning when he insisted on finishing his 18 holes of golf despite the lightning packed thunderstorm. He was looking down; lining up a long putt shot and the bolt of lightning struck the rear of his head, frying his occipital lobes. What is likely to be impaired if Pete survives?

• his legs

• vision

• hearing

• taste

Jeanette suffers from focal epilepsy (seizures localized in just one part of the brain). Her seizures are triggering extreme emotions- most often extreme fear followed by a rage response. What part of the brain is being affected?

• pons

• cerebellum

• hypothalamus

• amygdala

After Martin’s car accident he had difficulty understanding what others were saying to him. He could speak but what he said made little sense. Where is Martin’s brain damage?

• cerebral cortex

• broca's area

• parietal lobe

• wernicke's area